


Catch My Breath

by EnbyStiles



Series: Here's to Hating High School Together [5]
Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Nick is a good boyfriend, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnbyStiles/pseuds/EnbyStiles
Summary: Suppressing a yawn, Troy binks as he pushes the now silent headphones from his ears and turns his head to look at Nick over his shoulder.“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Nick says as he gets settled behind Troy. “Figured I’d find you here.”It takes Troy’s sleep-addled brain a moment to catch up, and when it does he groans in frustration. “Shit, ’m sorry, Nick.”Nick snorts in response before leaning closer and pressing a kiss to Troy’s forehead. “S’fine. I figured you were having a rough one."
Relationships: Nick Clark/Troy Otto
Series: Here's to Hating High School Together [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1371910
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Catch My Breath

**Author's Note:**

> I live. Sort of. Got the inspiration for this while drawing. Enjoy.
> 
> Songs for this part are Let Me Be Sad by I Prevail and Ambulance by My Chemical Romance

Troy feels like sinking into the folds of the couch and never getting back up.

It’s the day before his mother’s funeral, and that’s all he can think about. Nothing is pulling his mind from this spiral of thoughts. Of his mother, and everything she did to him. Everything she let happen to him. And how his chest aches with how much he misses her…

He’s in the dilapidated house he and Nick call their safe haven. He told Jake he was going to go see his therapist, which wasn’t a lie, he did go for half an hour, but she had an emergency and had to cut their session short. Instead of going home Troy texted Jake saying he was going to hang out there a while and do some bs group activities to help him deal with his shit.

He ended up leaving his truck there in the back lot and walking the mile and a half back to their neighborhood. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to be anywhere else today aside from picking Nick up after school, because he just doesn’t have the energy to do… well... anything. 

It’s bad enough that even music isn’t helping pull him from his spiral. The headphones he wears are big enough to fully cover his ears, blocking out all sound around him, not that there really is any. That’s why he came here. The quiet. He just wants it to be quiet. All of it.

But the music isn’t working and the things he’s learned in therapy aren’t really helping. It’s like there’s a hurricane raging inside of him that’s ripping up his every thought and memory and throwing them back at him full force. His therapist said that it was normal. That he’s experienced complex trauma and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed when you’ve been triggered. His mental and emotional state are totally fucked, in other words.

Time’s like this he wished he didn’t feel anything at all. That he could go numb and just do whatever he has to do. Like when he was back on the ranch training with the militia…

He shakes his head at that though, nearly losing his headphones in the process. Because that thought has his stomach twisting in painful knots. He scared himself when he would get like that. So detached and cruel. Like some animal that only existed to do his father’s bidding… He can’t go back to that. He can’t…

After a while, Troy grows so exhausted from his own thoughts that he ends up curling up with his face buried in the soft worn leather of the old couch he’s been laying on. He doesn’t even realize he’s dozing off until he’s waking up to the cushion sagging behind him as a warm arm wraps around his waist and pulls him back against an equally warm chest.

Suppressing a yawn, Troy binks as he pushes the now silent headphones from his ears and turns his head to look at Nick over his shoulder.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Nick says as he gets settled behind Troy. “Figured I’d find you here.”

It takes Troy’s sleep-addled brain a moment to catch up, and when it does he groans in frustration. “Shit, ’m sorry, Nick.”

Nick snorts in response before leaning closer and pressing a kiss to Troy’s forehead. “S’fine. I figured you were having a rough one. I texted Jake saying your phone had died and that we were going to the beach to wander around and get dinner. Ya’know, take your mind off things.”

The relief that fills Troy is enough that he finds himself sagging back into Nick’s embrace as he closes his eyes. “I seriously owe you one. I told him I was going to a group thing at my therapist’s office this morning…”

“Needed a day to fuck off and veg?” Nick asks as he shifts around a little so that he’s now got both arms around Troy, one under his neck to wrap around his chest and the other draped over his side where his fingers run lightly up and down Troy’s own arm. It’s a bit awkward but still comfortable for them both.

“Something like that…” Troy concedes with a tired sigh. He still feels like a mess. And even with the extra sleep, he feels exhausted. And the thought of going home and getting ready for tomorrow has him so on edge that he wants to crawl out of his own skin, even in his exhausted state.

“Hey,” Nick says gently, drawing Troy’s attention back to him. “You want me to stay a while? Mom thinks I’m at your house right now. We can just chill and when you’re up for it I’ll walk with you to get the truck and I’ll drive us to get something to eat before we have to head home.”

All Troy can bring himself to do is nod. He feels so drained and Nick’s arms around him make him feel safe. Calm in a way he doesn’t often feel. So he lets his boyfriend pull him close and focuses on the warmth he gets from him and the feel of their bodies pressed together at all points possible. It’s grounding in a way he can’t explain. Way more grounding than any of the things he’s learned in therapy the last few months.

They stay like that until it starts to get dark. Only moving when they know they can’t get away with staying out much longer. It doesn’t take them long to get to the truck and even less time to find something for dinner. Burgers at the one stand by the beach Troy likes. He’s still too out of it to really enjoy the meal, but he appreciates the effort on Nick’s part to bring him here.

Troy tries to get Nick to stay the night, but Nick can’t. His mom is making him see someone at the rehab clinic for a check-in in the morning, and he can’t risk pissing her off right now. She’s been on edge the last few days and it was hard enough getting her to agree to let Nick skip school for Troy’s mom’s funeral.

They part with a lingering kiss at Troy’s front door. Neither of them wants to pull away. But they eventually do and with a sad wave, Troy watches Nick turn and walk away.

He doesn’t feel ready to face the coming day. But at least Nick was able to stop the storm raging inside of Troy’s mind for a little while. And after a short talk with Jake, Troy showers and collapses into his bed. He stays awake just long enough to text goodnight to Nick and receive the same message in turn before he’s out like a light.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to check out the [Here's To Hating High School Together Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1fXl9HXXalDwxgjQFnKOSm?si=PB1zuSsYRn2xs7JnSkPirw)
> 
> You can follow me on [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/TrickyHannigram) for more fandom related fun!
> 
> Or you can also follow me on [ Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/enbystiles) for weekly writing and gaming streams.


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